Modern Commer Replacement

[mgmark]

Well I'll be dipped in dog sh**t!
I didn't realise that was a Commer in Mad Max 2.

Well the Zarse mobile makes a lot more sense now.........

MG Mark

[Andy Zarse]

Spring has sprung,
The grass is ris,
I wonder where that Commer is...

Rather like the Good Lord Himself, it arose from the dead on Easter Sunday and whisked me, chariot-like, to the Shell garage for a paper and some semi-skimmed. No problems to report on the driving front but the dreaded tin worm seems to have taken a bit of a hold on the sills. Ave Maria.

[Steve Pyro]

When is the MOT due?

More last minute repairs to be arranged?

[Lorry]

Was it made at Ryton?  They may still have body panels

[Andy Zarse]

Engine was made in Ryton but the van was all screwed together in Dunstable, where co-incidentally there is nothing left after Renault shut their UK commercial vehicle factory down ten years ago.  Bloody French

Steve, them Indian cars is PALs, which are based on an old FIAT design, pal.

[Rhino]

Is there going to be a Commer weather prediction this year? A bit hot during the day last year so i think you should change the torrential down pour to heavy rain, that way the beer wont boil.

[Black Granny]

Engine was made in Ryton but the van was all screwed together in Dunstable, where co-incidentally there is nothing left after Renault shut their UK commercial vehicle factory down ten years ago.  Bloody French

I think thet still make LDV vans in a factory that is very close to the old Renault one in Dunstable.

[Lorry]

I thought Dunstable was the 2nd Bedford plant.  Till GM did a Ryton.

It all comes back to me.  Was it the old Dodge commercial plant, which Chrysler must have owned before Rootes Group.  I thought they sold that off.  So where was Karrier?  All complicated and all gone

[Andy Zarse]

Is there going to be a Commer weather prediction this year? A bit hot during the day last year so i think you should change the torrential down pour to heavy rain, that way the beer wont boil.

I have cast the runes and stared into the tealeaves. The Commer has spoken thus:

There will be quite a lot of weather this year, mainly coming in from 045. It will be ambient on thursday with air carrying on over the following days. Temperatures will range towards steady and it will be generally undercast. On saturday there will be an occlusion of about 990, leading to visibility of 70 in most regions and some stickiness in Arnage. Then on sunday a gentle zephyr is expected early on, giving way to a mild spell continuing through to the evening. In summary: Mare's tails.

[Andy Zarse]

I thought Dunstable was the 2nd Bedford plant.  Till GM did a Ryton.

It all comes back to me.  Was it the old Dodge commercial plant, which Chrysler must have owned before Rootes Group.  I thought they sold that off.  So where was Karrier?  All complicated and all gone

Confused? You will be! This might help:

http://fleetdata.co.uk/commer.html

and

http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.fc/qx/commer-family-crest.htm

Lorry, LDV's (as I'm sure Perdu will confirm) are all made in Washwood Heath, Birmingham, in the old Leyland Sherpa factory. LDV are going bust as well, so expect an announcement soon. 

[Andy Zarse]

And Karrier...

Karrier Motors started life in 1904 in Hudersfield as Clayton and Company. In 1908 they started making Karrier cars and in 1920 changed their name to Karrier Motors Ltd. After a couple of takeover bids in 1934, the Rootes Group aquired Karrier and, in their standard fashion, moved production to Luton, closing the Hudersfield operation.

Dodge came to the UK in 1922 and started out importing American Dodge build ups to build at a production line in Fulham; the local assembly moved to Park Royal and later to Kew. Dodges built there known as Dodge Kews.

In 1965 production moved to Dunstable where Commer / Dodge and Karrier were all brought together. The Dodge badge was used more and by the mid-1970s, it was on all Commer / Karrier / Dodge vehicles. By then, Rootes Group had been acquired by Chrysler.

The 50 series was the result of subsidies by the British goverment in 1975/76, giving Dodge / Karrier / Commer a boost in developing a 3.5 to 7.5 tonne range of vehicles to help keep the UK truck building business on an even keel. It came out in 1979, badged as a Dodge but with a Karrier nameplate, just in time for Peugeot's acquisition of Chrysler Europe, which included Rootes and Simca. In January 1980, all Commer / Karrier / Dodge vehicles officially became Talbot. Peugeot had no interest in truck building and sold it on to Renault in 1981; but for 1980, the 50 series was still badged as a Dodge under the Talbot name. In 1983, it switched to being sold as a Dodge under the Renault name, and in 1985 the Renault logo joined the nameplate; but the Dodge name was retained until 1987, when the trucks were replaced by the New 50 series, badged as Renaults only. Due to poor sales, the entire line was shut down in March 1993, with the line becoming the UK distribution center for French-built tractor units. The production line was taken away in 1994 by a Chinese group, and presumably Dodge medium duty trucks are now being produced in China. (For more details, see dodge50.co.uk.)

[Fran]

(For more details, see dodge50.co.uk.)

Theres more? 

(or is this just a thinly veiled attempt at boosting the Commer thread?)

[Rhino]

Is there going to be a Commer weather prediction this year? A bit hot during the day last year so i think you should change the torrential down pour to heavy rain, that way the beer wont boil.

I have cast the runes and stared into the tealeaves. The Commer has spoken thus:



Ok i'll still pack the wet weather gear then!!

There will be quite a lot of weather this year, mainly coming in from 045. It will be ambient on thursday with air carrying on over the following days. Temperatures will range towards steady and it will be generally undercast. On saturday there will be an occlusion of about 990, leading to visibility of 70 in most regions and some stickiness in Arnage. Then on sunday a gentle zephyr is expected early on, giving way to a mild spell continuing through to the evening. In summary: Mare's tails.

[Andy Zarse]

All being well, it's MOT day tomorrow. Fingers cross but which boxes will the failure crosses go in this year? 

[pretzel]

All being well, it's MOT day tomorrow. Fingers cross but which boxes will the failure crosses go in this year? 

Is there a box for haunted?